Moving On
by pandacuddles6
Summary: When Chloe needs help moving on who will be there to help her? really bad at summaries, sorry. First fic be brutally honest! Disclaimer: I do not own the Nine Lives of Chloe King. :
1. Chapter 1: A chance

CPOV

Ch.1 A Chance

1 Year Ago

I thought of my previous conversation with my mother' as I walked up the stairs. 'I think I'm in love with Brian… but I don't want to be.' It was true, and I expected to feel relieved the minute I said it, like a giant weight had been lifted from my chest… but I felt the exact opposite. Instead I felt even more confused. The whole situation was unsettling. Even though it seemed like I had made my choice, the same argument was raging in my mind. As much as I want them both, I know I can't have both of them.

I'm not talking about 2 ice cream flavors here; I'm talking about the two wonderful men in my life: Alek and Brian…. If only polygamy was my thing…. _Why does this have to be so hard?_

Alek is always coming to my rescue. No matter what I can always count on him being there for me. I refuse to just blow him off, and forget about him! It's just that… Brian makes life fun, and he kind of makes me feel human again. Not that I mind being _half _cat, it's just nice to forget about it sometimes. But…I don't _want_ to be in love with Brian…How can I stop? That was the question.

"I don't want to think about this anymore!" I announced out loud, trying to force myself to do so. I was just so frustrated from my lack of a conclusive decision. How could I possibly choose between them?

I open the door to my room slowly, revealing a figure perched on the end of my bed. He gets up and stands in the middle of the room with what seems to be his usual air of cocky self-confidence. Something was off though. His face; it was stricken with grief and twisted in agony like he was dying inside.

I wonder…did he hear…did he hear the conversation I just had with my mother? Did he over hear the private confession of my love for Brian? That sounds so wrong, it's more like possible love… Oh no! The look on his face answered my unspoken question… yes he had heard. I don't want to have this conversation with him right now. I want to… I don't know when I want to have this conversation… but definitely **not** right now!

He hasn't broken eye contact with me since I walked into the room. It intimidates me. I feel so guilty. I mean…I didn't think we were a "thing," just friends. You know, so far the whole just friends thing that I keep telling myself isn't really working out too well. I know we weren't just friends. We were definitely something, but it wasn't official or anything…but I still feel like I cheated on him or something. I mean he did take me to the carnival this morning…ugh.

"You love who you love." Alek repeated what my mother had told me after I admitted my feelings for Brian. "I guess I never really stood a chance, did I?" He asked with those big brown British eyes. He continued speaking before I really registered what he had asked. "I was afraid I was making a fool of myself…" I say his name, and he looks at me with a mixture of hurt and anger in his eyes, when he continues. "Sometimes I hate being right."

"Alek, it…it's not the way it sounded…"

"Oh really, 'cause it sounded like you said you were in love with him." He cuts me off.

"I don't know what I am…I'm sorry…but it doesn't matter! We both know I cant be with him." I know it sounded bad, like a poorly constructed excuse, but I was seriously unsure about my emotions. There was so much I wanted to tell him but I hadn't quite figured any of it out for myself yet. I didn't want to hurt him.

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" Great, I hurt him. "I don't want you to choose me, because I'm the only option…"

This time I cut him off, "I'm not choosing anyone!" This sounds so bad!

"I think you already have." He says, slicing through me like a knife, I can't formulate the right words. My brain has shut down, completely abandoning me. Say something Chloe!

He interrupted my stream of thoughts when he finally looks away, breaking eye contact with me. He turns away and walks toward the window. Turning back at the last second he says, "You are making a big mistake." My phone beeps so I look down at it for a moment and then look back up, and but he was gone. Just like that, with a blink of an eye, he disappeared.

"Alek, wait…!" I called out, knowing full well that it was useless, and could be half way to Canada by now if he wanted to be.

Never mind! …I was wrong; I really do want to talk about it right now! I want…I need to explain myself… the right way. Not stumbling over my words like our previous conversation. I need that chance if I ever want to make it up to him. A chance.

Right when I was about to break down into tears, my phone beeped again.

It was again notifying me that I had a new massage. I looked to see who it was from. 'DAD' it read, in all capitol letters.

The message said "Meet me at Hannah's last stop. Here. Now."… **The** theatre.

I wonder if I should tell someone. Who would I tell? Alek was mad at me, and I certainly wasn't going to ask hi, for help. Amy and Paul were on a date, and what kind of friend would I be to interrupt them. My mom was on her business meeting and she would freak out anyway. Well…there's Brian…no.

I grab my stuff and head out the door. I start up the street when Brian calls out to me. How creepy, he was just sitting there… Oh he brought food, that's okay then. He says he was gonna try to ask me on a date…This boy doesn't know what _just friends_ mean, does he? He then offers me a ride…that would be great. I could always count on Brian taking me places, and dropping me off at odd locations. Like the time he gave me a ride to the warehouse, that scarface had almost taken one of my lives at. He never insisted on coming to protect me like Alek would, so he wouldn't insist on coming into the theatre.

it was just me and my dad. I could go in alone, and he could wait for me…or he could leave if he wanted to…just like last time.


	2. Chapter 2: Salty Tears

A/N: Hey guys this is my first fanfic but I want complete and brutal honesty, and this chapter is better than the first. I needed to give a little background info. The conversation in the previous chapter was from episode 10, Beautiful Day. If you haven't watched it you may be a little lost in this chapter. Oh, and the entire first paragraph she is talking to herself, so sorry if it's confusing. Reviews are appreciated!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Nine Lives of Chloe King, or I wouldn't have let them cancel it. Duh!

Ch. 2: Salty Tears

I sat there, stunned, on the steps of the grand theatre where another one of my precious lives had just been stolen from me. I was drenched in my own sweat and blood, and he was too. Brian, whose lifeless cold body was draped over my lap. It was limp and completely utterly still. A single salty tear ran down and over my cheek as more and more quickly followed. I did nothing to stop them, not caring if they swallowed me up and I drowned in them, because then maybe I would be with him…

I woke up, startled, and clutched my blankets as if my life depended on it, turning my knuckles white. I checked myself once over, but the blood had completely vanished, leaving me shaking slightly. "It was a dream." I thought, as I began calming down. The whole thing was a really awful dream. I glanced at my clock, which read 4:46 a.m., in flashing lights while beeping loudly. I had forgotten to turn my alarm clock off the night before. I took a deep breath in, wishing a certain Mai would be here in times like these. Speaking of, "I must have gone to bed after Alek had fled my room yesterday, when he overheard the conversation I had with my mom." I reasoned, unable to find another logical explanation for my lack of memory. Honestly, I didn't remember getting in bed at all yesterday. "Alek… I need to talk to him," I reminded myself. I hoped he would forgive me, and I was prepared to beg on my knees, if need be. I knew I didn't deserve his good graces, but I couldn't live without him. "I'm going to call him," I resolved. I immediately began thinking of what to say, but nothing came to me.

I felt sore as I hopped out of bed and headed towards my bathroom door, searching for my missing phone as I went. "What could I have possibly done to make it so painful to move?" I asked myself out loud.

I bent down to retrieve the missing phone out of the back pocket of my crumpled pants, which I had tossed on the bathroom floor after changing out of them the night before. Although I had no memory of doing this either, it's what I always did, so I wasn't too shocked to find them. I hardly noticed the drops of blood covering my jeans. I figured my mind was playing tricks on me after my horrible dream.

"Do you honestly not remember?" A British accent asked from behind me. Startled, I jumped up from my crouched position on the floor. I couldn't believe it was really Alek. He had come, even after I hurt him so badly yesterday.

I smiled, hopeful that he had come to give me another chance, and responded stupidly, "Remember what?" I looked down at my phone, which was now cradled in my hand. The most recent message that I had received was pulled up on the screen. It read, 'Meet me at Hannah's last stop. Here. Now. –DAD'. Once I registered what the message said and what its mere presence meant, the smile, which had been inching down, completely dropped off of my face. It had happened; it wasn't a dream at all. This was crystal clear to me now as my heart sank.

While I was still putting the pieces together, Alec sighed and began, "Chloe, love…you were shot… you died…"

Recovering slightly, I looked up into Alek's face clearly for the first time, and gasped. " Oh my Basset! What happened to you Alek?" I practically screamed, demanding an explanation and cutting him off before he could continue. Taking a good look at him I realized that he was fairly beat up. His bottom lip was swollen up, like it had recently been stung by a large bee. There was a slight bulge around the middle of his stomach, giving away the position of a large bandage of some sort. The last visible injury was a cut over his left eye that, at just a glance, blended in fairly well with his eyebrow. This small cut is what worried me the most. Being Mai meant having the ability to heal very fast, which meant that it should have healed a long time ago, but this cut looked fresh.

In response to my question I expected Alek to say something smart and cocky like, 'You should see the other guy' or something, but no. Instead, he started to break down. I saw his face fall as a flood of memories came rushing back into his mind at hearing my question. That was the first time I saw Alek Petrov cry.

"It was Zain…he…he was waiting…Jasmine…Val-Valentina…they…the-they're gone Chloe." He choked out. The tears were rolling down his cheek. The reflection of the moonlight glistened in his tears, making them look almost magical. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if they were; the Mai are pretty magical to me.

I couldn't really process what he was actually saying, but I didn't want to worry about it right now. My main concern had become comforting the crying boy in front of me right now, and being there for him, like he always is for me. I walked him over tio my bed and we sat down there. I held him close to me, listening to his frantic heartbeat as he sobbed. I waited and listened until he was ready to continue.

After a few minutes, he cleared his throat and began again. He spoke so quietly that only another Mai would be able to hear him. "Zain was waiting for me at the penthouse." He used his sleeve to wipe a progressing tear from his eye. "When I got there, it… it was too late. The healers at headquarters told me Valentina had been poisoned, but Jas…" He took another deep breath and pushed on refusing to give in to the fresh tears emerging from his eyes. He began again, "Jasmine was stabbed…I tried so hard to kill him, Chloe. I wanted to rip him up into a million pieces with my claws. I wanted to see and taste his blood, and watch the life drain out of him. I'm a monster Chloe…"

This confession brought on a new round of tears, soaking through my thin shirt. I was downright shocked. Alek was opening up to me, sharing his deepest and darkest thoughts and worries with me. This was a new side of Alek; one that I never thought I would get to see. He was very vulnerable right now, and he trusted me to see him through it. He believed himself to be a monster after that traitor, Zain, killed his only living family.

I kissed his cheek tenderly, where a tear was resting. He looked up slightly confused. I licked my lips, where the salty tear had dissolved, before I began, "Zain? I never would have pegged him as a traitor. Alek, you were angry… he deserved to die…" It was harsh, but his story made me angry and it was getting harder to control that anger. "…He killed his own. He is a traitor…" I spat. I looked into Alek's eyes, and my anger immediately dissipated. I was supposed to be comforting him, not stressing him out more.

When Chloe looked at me with her big blue eyes, the anger immediately left her gaze and softened. She lightly says, "You have every right to be angry, Alek..." When she said my name my heart fluttered. No other girl has ever made me feel this way, which is a pretty big deal considering how amazing I am and how many girls are willing to throw themselves at me per day. I would estimate about 100 G/D [girls per day] if you didn't know.

She was still talking…"…but it's over now. Everything will get better eventually, I promise. With Zain gone…"

I look at her, my eyes grew wide as I realized what she was saying. I silenced her when I said her name, "Chloe…he got away. Zain got away. He stabbed me…" I unconscientiously touched my bandaged stomach where I had been stabbed. "… with… with the same knife that claimed Jasmine's life. We fought, but…but he knew every move that I would make. He matched every punch and kick I threw at him perfectly. I think he was watching us. I think he had been for awhile actually." With this Chloe looked dumbfounded. It was cute. "Hey, I'm still the best fighter, the uniter can't even handle me." I added cockily, changing the tone of my voice.

She giggled and said, " Now there's the C.B. I know and love!" Her eyes widened after the last word, and then looked at me pleadingly, as if to say 'please don't comment.' But I did anyway…

"Chloe?" I smiled, at her reaction and I could hear her heart speed up, but she refused to give me the explanation I longed for. I sighed and looked down at my fingers fiddling with them, as I often did when I wanted to look nervously cute.

"Alek…" She began, but when I looked up at her hopefully our faces came so close together that if I twitched our noses would brush one another's. So that's what I did; I twitched, making one final tear slipped down my face. She closed the distance, putting her lips to mine. Her lips tasted salty. Had she been crying? Had I been too rapped up in myself to notice her own silent tears. I pulled away, momentarily, to look at her. Her blue eyes were red and puffy.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. She looked up at me questioningly, and I answered her by pressing my lips to each of her eyes and then once again to her lips. We fell back onto her bed. Our lips disconnected and she snuggled into me after we got under her covers. I wrapped my arms around her and we fell asleep for the remaining hours of the night.

Together.

A/N: R&R please! Why isn't the cut over Alec's eye healing? What happened to Chloe's mom? Where did Zain go? I know but do you? Please share your thoughts! 3


	3. Chapter 3: Unspoken Words

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the random POV change in the last chapter, for some reason the two POV markers just didn't show up… oh well, and the story continues…

Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Nine Lives of Chloe King… my brother does…jk. I don't even have a brother. =)

Even in the pitch-black night, the heavy rain, pouring down from the heavens, was visible with the aid of a street lamp here and there. When I approached my house, a figure emerged, hugging himself tightly, completely soaked to the bone. I could hear his teeth chattering. Alek? I wondered if he had, in fact, stayed here in the rain, ensuring my mother's safety, while I carelessly put myself in danger, at the warehouse. I asked him if this much was true, and he simply replied 'yes.' So I asked why and without hesitation answers, 'because you asked me to.' With that he walks away, shielding his face from the relentless rain with his dark hoody.

Chloe P.O.V.

When I woke up, I could hear the sound of the shower running, reminding me of my dream/ memory. This was curious because I couldn't remember my mom getting home last night. I couldn't remember how I had gotten home last night either. I remembered waking up early and… At this point, Alek emerged from my bathroom. He was wearing a plain black shirt and black skinny jeans of his that he kept here for training days. He was drying his hair with a towel, and managed to somehow morph it into perfectness within a matter of minutes. I sighed and threw my legs over the side of my bed. After sitting there a moment, I pulled myself out of bed the rest of the way. I quickly collapsed back onto my bed. The ache in my bed had not subsided one bit, which frustrated me a bit, even though I knew it had only been a couple hours since I was shot. I groaned; unpleasant memories began stirring in my mind. I mulled over the events of the past 24 hours. I rub my eyes and glance at the clock. 8:03… Good thing it was Saturday.

"If Jasmine thinks I'm going to train after what happened yesterday, she is…" I trailed off remembering what Alek had said this morning; '_they're gone Chloe_…' I fought to hold back the tears that threatened to return to my eyes. Alek came over and sat next to me. He said nothing but silently wrapped his arm around my shoulders hugging me tightly, as if he was saying 'Go ahead. It's your turn to let it out. It's alright.'

I waited for the hysterical cries that I was sure were going to escape my mouth the moment I opened it, but none came. This shocked both me and Alek. I wanted to let everything out; I needed to come to grips with everything that had happened recently. I thought all of the emotions I had been building up would be released through my tears but I was wrong. I realized that crying wasn't enough anymore; I needed to do something. I had so many questions and today was the day I would finally find those answers. I didn't care what I had to do to get them…

Chloe P.O.V.

I stood up suddenly, startling Alek, who had no clue what had been going on in my mind. He eyed me suspiciously; he probably thought I was gonna go do something reckless. He knew me too well; I laughed to myself. I returned the look he gave me with his own famous smirk, confusing him all the more.

I walked over to my dresser and picked out a short red fluffy skirt and black leggings with a matching black T-shirt with a giant 'red lips' graphic on the front. I ran to the bathroom and hopped in the shower. The hot water felt nice on my sore muscles so I decided to take my own sweet time getting out. I turned off the shower and stepped out, quickly drying myself off. I did a double take, when I looked in the mirror. The person in the mirror looked pale, and I could see a large spot in the middle of her chest where a single bullet had entered her body, piercing her heart. I looked like a vampire…and technically I did die so, I wasn't too far off. I shuddered at the thought of dying. I reminded myself that I only had seven lives left now.

I pulled on my clothes and walked out into my room finding it empty. My mouth watered when the smell of coffee wafted through my door, filling my room. How did he always know what I needed, before I even did? I dried my hair, letting my bouncy curls fall over my shoulders in masses. I slipped on combat boots, which I usually just used for training, and a leather jacket. I dabbed on a bit of makeup and carefully placed a black cotton beret on my head. What can I say? I was feeling like a French rebel. I grabbed my phone and tossed it, along with a few other things, into my bag and snatched a pair of large black sunglasses off of the table beside my bed, which completed my out fit nicely. Amy would kill me if she saw my lack of accessories otherwise.

As I headed downstairs I wondered where my mom was. She should have been home by now. Of course if she had been home, I would never have gotten away with Alek showing up like he did and us falling asleep in the same bed like we did. I wasn't complaining about the lack of interruption but it was disturbing me nonetheless.

I pulled out my phone as I reached the kitchen table, and tossed my bag on the ground next to my chair. I saw that I had 7 unread texts, 9 missed calls, and 4 voicemail messages. The texts were from Amy and Paul; none of them were from my mother, worrying me further. This was disconcerting, considering that before today she had never failed to contact me somehow, every hour she was gone. I decided to call Amy to tell her I was okay.

I had her on speed dial, so I pressed her allotted number and heard the phone pick up almost instantly. "CHLOE?" She squealed.

"Hello, Amy." I said calmly.

"OMG! Chloe we thought you were dead! … You know for, like, good!" She added as an afterthought. Alek chuckled lightly and continued sipping his coffee.

"I'm fine, Amy. Are you and Paul okay?"

"Yeah, we are fine. I mean, you sound way calmer than I thought you would be. I mean you, like… yeah…" I smiled at Amy's grammar or lack there of. I also found it funny that Amy couldn't bring herself to say that I died. She continued, taking no breaths whatsoever, "and then Brian, I mean you practically killed the guy…"

I gasped very loudly and dramatically. How could I have forgotten about Brian?

"Oh… I m so sorry, Chloe! That was totally insensitive of me. I can't believe I just blurted something out like that. You know what, I'm coming over there! You are at your house right? PAUL! WE ARE GOING TO CHLOE'S! COME ON!" She hung up before I could even say anything else.

I looked down sadly, and Alek spoke up for the first time this morning, "Your huma…I mean Brian, Is he dead? What happened Chloe?" Now it was my turn tell my own story. I told him everything, even the part about my dad and all the other messages he had sent me. I expected him to interrupt me, but he never did. He waited patiently until I was done with my story, and then said the one thing I never thought I would hear him say. "I'm so sorry, about Brian, I mean." I looked at him shocked, and he explained. "No I didn't like him, and he made me so extremely unreasonably jealous sometimes…" He paused for a moment, just to add to the dramatic effect, "but he made you happy. I could see it in his eyes that he loved you, and I could tell that you loved him too. I longed for you to look at me like that but…" I cut him off by kissing him on the lips. He kissed me back instantly.

Before anything could happen, the doorbell rang. We separated and I told him, "I didn't love Brian. I thought I loved Brian but saying it felt so wrong. I felt like I was lying to myself and everyone else. I liked to spend time with him, and he made me happy, yes, but that's because he was just a funny guy. He made me feel human, which I liked, but I couldn't ever really be myself with him. He didn't make me feel safe, like you do. I could never be myself with him like I can with you. I always had to lie with him; I could never be honest with him, like I can with you. Alek, I do admit that I liked him, but as great as that first love with him was, it wasn't forever. It wasn't the everlasting love that I share with you." I was so relieved to have that off my chest. This time, it felt right. There were no mixed feelings.

"I love you, Chloe King!" He said leaning on. I could feel his breath on my lips, when the doorbell rang again, and again, and again, about 10 times. "Ugh…." I sighed. I stepped away from the disgruntled looking Alek, who followed me to the door.

When I opened the door, I expected to see an impatient Amy and Paul. So when I flung the door open angrily and saw Amy crouching down with a bruised and bleeding human being in her arms, I was speechless. Paul ran to the door behind Amy and gasped. Alek was shocked and was my support as I fell to my knees, and screamed. My mother was unrecognizable. Tied to her arm, which was obviously broken by the way it was twisted at an odd angle, was a note. I carefully removed it from her arm and read it out loud, so everyone could hear; "YOU CHOOSE WHO GOES NEXT, CHLOE KING. YOU OR ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR PRECIOUS HUMANS?"


	4. Chapter 4: Silence

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and alerts you guys! It has inspired me to continue writing during math class! lol You guys are amazing! Seriously, if anyone has any pointers I would love to hear some constructive criticism. Even amazing writers need to improve!

Disclaimer: Blah Blah Blah I do Not own The Nine Lives of Chloe King Blah Blah Blah…-_-

'I carefully removed it from her arm and read it out loud, so everyone could hear; "YOU CHOOSE WHO GOES NEXT, CHLOE KING. YOU OR ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR PRECIOUS HUMANS?"'

Ch.4: Silence

Chloe P.O.V.

It had become increasingly harder to breathe in the sharp morning air. Finally I gasped, gulping in the fresh air, and began shaking violently. The suffocating silence dragged on as no one dared to speak one word. Alek bent over, and scooped my mother up effortlessly, flexing his clearly defined muscles. He carried her to the couch and began checking her injuries. Paul helped me to my feet while Amy ran to the kitchen. She grabbed the phone, dialed 9-1-1, and held it up to her ear as quickly as she could. She tried to maintain her composure throughout the phone call, but with one glance at my mother lying unconscious on the coach, she broke down into a silent fit of tears. After all, she was like a second daughter to my mother, and like a sister to me. After Amy hung up the phone, the ambulance arrived about 10 minutes later. It became hectic in a matter of minutes. I blocked it all out, and focused on Alek's heartbeat. It became my stronghold during the next 6 minutes, which proved to be the worst and most painful 6 minutes of my life, and I've died twice. I could tell they were shouting orders frantically as they ran in all different directions. They rushed into our house, and checked my mother for injuries just as Alek had. They asked us a bunch of questions, very few, of which, I answered. I just stood in the midst of it all, hardly aware of anything other than the heartbeat I was listening to and the person it belonged to. Then, just as suddenly as they had arrived, the paramedics were gone, taking my mother with them, on their way to the hospital. I had barely any time to register what had happened, before Amy ushered me out the door, dragging me to her car, where we all crammed in tightly.

The silence was once again upon me. I had no desire to speak, but the silence was crushing me, ripping and tearing me into little pieces and then stomping on them, only to rebuild me and do it again. Rip. Stomp. Build. Rip. Stomp. Build. Rip. Stomp. Build. I wished for someone to set me free from the monotony, and Alek, my savior and prince charming, complied.

Alek looked up curiously, and killed the dreadful silence with a noble sword, "Chloe, do you remember anything after…after you left the theatre?" More like a pickaxe, chipping away at the silence gradually… I sighed. I noticed that Alek wisely avoided bringing Brian up, for me sanity's sake. It was not Brian's death that made my heart though; it was the knowledge that I had been responsible for, not only one, but two hansome young men's deaths. They had so much going for them, and I had rudely taken away any chance they had of a bright future. I suck…

After I thought about it a bit more, I finally decided to answer him. "No, I do not. I guess I just assumed it was you." Now that I thought about it, that would have been awkward considering I had woken up with different clothes on than when I was shot, implying… My eyes widened as this occurred to me.

"Oh, that was me!" Amy piped up. She mistook the expression of relief that flooded my face and oddly added, "It was just me! I promise I left Paul in the car." Alek snickered at her comment. She ignored him and continued, "I tried to wash the blood off of …of you the very best I could, but, like, it was kinda… hard, so I didn't do a very good job. I'm sorry." She hesitated before saying the word 'hard', and I understood her to mean it wasn't hard to do, but it was hard for her to handle. Ever since the third grade when that kid, Autumne Sneed, [A/N: How 'bout that girlie? Worked you into my story! XP] fell off the monkey bars and hit her head on the concrete, she has been queasy around blood. The girl actually split her head open, making it bleed a lot and she had to have 39 stitches as well as having to miss school for the two weeks that followed. Anyway, I thought she did a pretty good job even without the problem she had with blood. This left me with even more questions. "Doesn't she ever breath?" I heard Alek mumble, as Amy babbled away. "…I would have spent the night too, like to make sure you were okay, but again, Paul was waiting in the car all alone, and …now that I think about it we could have crashed on your couch, I mean I'm sure you wouldn't have minded. Oh well! Wait where was I? Oh Yes! Paul was waiting in the car, so first I dropped him off, and then I called Alek. So then Alek was like, 'how'd you get my number?' then I was like 'Chloe gave it to me!' and then he was like…" I could tell Alek was getting frustrated so I stopped Amy nicely and told her to please get to the point. She apologized and remembering her point jumped back into the story. "Well, after I called Alek, I basically just told him that you needed him, and that he needed to go protect you like a good little protector." Amy finished her story, leaving Alek clearly annoyed. He scowled at her for calling him little and opened his mouth, about to say some smart-aleck retort, when he abruptly stopped and closed his mouth. I was shocked at his self-control but the expressions he was making were funny but cute, so I shrugged it off.

"I really owe you Amy…" I paused, and wondered if I should ask about Brian. I decided to add him to my gradually growing list of questions that I would ask her at the inevitable girls night that I would surely be having tonight. Alek looked at me, and I could tell he was curious to what I was thinking about. I mouthed 'tell you later' and then I asked, "Hey, Amy would you like to sleep over tonight? I could really use a girl's night, plus I need to talk to you about some stuff." She sat up a little straighter in her seat, both hands on the wheel and I could tell that she was smiling. I already knew the answer, besides it was a rarity for Amy to ever say no to a girls night. I think she was physically unable to do so.

"Of course! Yay! Girl's night! That means NO BOYS! Right Chloe? It's okay, I understand if Alek is there but make him promise to stay on the roof!" She said with huff. I made him solemnly swear to Bastet that he would stay on the roof until Amy said it was okay. No one even noticed when we zoomed past the hospital entrance.

No one… except for Paul, who had been uncharacteristically quiet for the entire trip. "Amy! You just passed right by the hospital!" He yelled, startling everyone, who had all but forgotten he was there. He began waving his arms back and forth like a mad man. He pointed towards the gradually disappearing hospital.

"Whoops!" Amy giggled.

Alek, remained silent throughout the entire episode. Even when Amy slammed her foot on the brakes, causing all of us to lurch forward, he simply closed his eyes. I could tell he was getting frustrated at the two humans that annoyed him to no end. He put up with them for me though. I was surprised that he had managed to keep his temper in check thus far.

Alek P.O.V.

The humans…ugh! Paul was usually the one who annoyed me the most. He always had a stupid question about the life of a Mai. We are amazing and way better than humans; that's all he needs to know! He acted like Chloe and I were characters in his weird geek comic books. BUT…on occasion, Amy surpasses Paul, leaving him far behind covered in dust… on the 'annoying scale.' This was one of those times. The mood started out sad and scared for Chloe and her mother, but then changed so fast it gave me whiplash. I mean, Chloe had just been threatened and then her mom had been rushed to the hospital, and now they were all happy and smiling. I don't understand girls! When Amy passed the entrance of the hospital, Paul was the first to speak up. I was relieved that someone was going to finally shut this girl up, but no! He joined her, waving his arms all around, practically jumping up and down in his seat, and pointing towards the hospital. Then Amy slammed on her breaks, giving me a headache and then did a quick U-turn which probably actually gave me whiplash. Thankfully there were no cars on the street at the time or we all would have died… that would have been a tragic waste of my life! I closed my eyes at the thought … and partially because I started feeling woozy. I would die to protect Chloe's lives, but otherwise I refuse to die until I'm at least 55 (because I'll die anyway if I ever get wrinkles…Heaven forbid!) Oh. My. Bastet. I feel like I'm gonna throw up! I could feel Chloe's eyes boring into my head, but I kept my eyes closed. I was trying to control my temper at the two humans while simultaneously trying to keep down the coffee that I now regret drinking this morning. I open my eyes momentarily to steal a glance at Chloe, whose attention was fully focused on me. The pain in my head had been increasing gradually since Amy had first begun talking in her high-pitched squeaky voice. I had not been fully aware of it at first, but the turn had brought it to the forefront of my mind. It pounded against my forehead like my brain was trying to explode. It was worse than a migraine, because I used to have those when I was young. My adoptive parents would put one of those kitty ear hats on my head and it would make me feel better. It felt like a second reinforcement for my brain, so it couldn't seep through my skin, like I used to feel it was going to. The migraines stopped when I met Chloe…Aunt Val said that it was my longing to protect the Uniter… but I think it was because Chloe and I were meant to be together, and I couldn't stand being away from her. I've never told Chloe that though. I will… one day…

My head started to throb again, yanking me away from my thoughts of Chloe and making me wince. Chloe was still staring at me intently, silently begging me for an explanation, concern etched within every beautiful feature of her lovely face. Her eyes widened and she reached up to touch my forehead. I had begun to think that maybe my brain really was leaking when I felt her light touch on the place where Zain had cut me with his claw. When she pulled her hand back there was a bright shiny red liquid on the tips of her fingers. I could feel the trickle of blood slowly moving down to cover my eyelid. Chloe got a tissue and dabbed at the cut.

"Why hasn't that healed, Alek?" She asked still sopping up the blood that wouldn't stop.

I was stunned. I didn't know either, but my headache had gotten worse if possible and then…

Chloe P.O.V.

Alek was losing blood, and fast. He grew pale very fast and before I knew it had passed out. We were currently parked in the parking lot of the hospital. Amy and Paul were oblivious to the scene in the back seat. I didn't know what to do, so I called out, "Amy! Paul! Alek is hurt! We have to go to headquarters. We can check on my mother later; we have to go. Right. Now." The ride to headquarters was spent in the same kind of silence that I had been experiencing throughout the day today. I had been dreading its return. It swallowed all sound that dared make an appearance. It was finally interrupted when we arrived at the headquarters for the Mai. We rushed him inside. I was in a daze. Too many things had happened today. I wanted to crawl into bed and wake up in a different universe.

"Hello Chloe. We are reassigning you new protectors, since Jasmine and Valentina are no longer with us. Alek is too weak and may never fully recover from this. It is in your ibest interest if…" The lady at the front said to me after taking Alek to the healers. I honestly couldn't believe what I was hearing. So I simply refused to listen. As they continued I did not protest, I just walked away.

I sat down and tuned my hearing to listen for Alek's heartbeat. I found it within a matter of seconds. It wasn't faint like I thought it would be. Then I heard him say something. I listened harder and heard my name. He was still unconscious and he was saying my name. I looked around for Amy and Paul but they were gone. I was completely alone and the silence once again filled my ears.


	5. Chapter 5: Endangered Heart

A/N: Hey guys! No, I'm not gonna kill off Alek. He's kinda one of the main characters, I mean who kills off the main characters? Oh yeah, tragedy writers… [Alek and Chloe are the main characters; all other characters are eligible for random death… just saying…] But there is a character death in this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Nine Lives of Chloe King or _Heartbreak Warfare_.

**Ch. 5: Endangered Heart**

Zain ran through the trees, expertly dodging the tree branches that tried to reach out and tug on his clothes and tangle in his hair. Breathing heavily he sprung up, extended his claws and dug them into the trunk of a rather large tree. He clung to the trunk for a moment before effortlessly grabbing a branch and swinging himself up to perch on it like a cat. He listened for his pursuers, who were crashing through the unfamiliar forest, giving away their position, easily; too easily. He determined their distance to be a good 125 yards away before continuing g to climb further up the tree. He hid in a dense patch of leaves that concealed him from anyone that happened to look up from the ground. He settled in and waited, watching for his pursuers. He counted down: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. They appeared and were gone in a matter of seconds, passing him without a second glance. He let out the breath that he didn't know he had been holding for who knows how long, and dropped to the ground noiselessly. Regaining his composure, he started back the way he came, running in the opposite direction of his pursuers. Every once in awhile he would stop to listen for footsteps before resuming the frantic chase. Without stopping he stole a glance behind him, causing him to collide with a woman with short red hair. He scrambled to his feet, and looked up into her face. She smirked at him, catching him by the hair and yanking him back. Her free hand came down on his cheek making it sting and leaving a bright red mark. He should have seen the trap from the very beginning.

"You failed." Simone hissed. "You failed to kill Petrov. He was the most important one. I thought I made that clear. You had direct orders to kill Petrov, yet He. Is. Not. Dead!" She accented the last 4 words heavily, spitting in his face. "Your life belongs to me! I did not spare your pathetic life so that you could fail me, my pet. Mr. King wanted me to finish the job long ago, but I promised him you would be useful. You have failed and I no longer have the patience to deal with your failures." She reached into her boot and withdrew a golden dagger with the order emblem on the hilt. Zain's eyes widened as Simone lunged for him, plunging the dagger into his heart. When she twisted it, tears filled Zain's eyes. Slowly, she pulled the dagger out, and laughed at the sound of the boy who screamed in agony. She stood, towering above him, and turned to leave.

He gasped and forced his last words from his mouth. "I scratched him. He does not know…when…" He pressed his hand to the bloody wound in his chest. Simone had stopped to listen to him. "…when mai scratch mai… if left untreated…" His sentences were coming out as fragments as he tried to take in enough breath to satisfy his slowing heart. "wont heal…bleeds…dies in 3…3 days… I did not fail!" He whispered. He could not find the energy to say anymore. So he just stared at the woman who had turned back around. There was no sign of remorse in her perfect porcelain face, just an emotionless stare. She bent down and whispered in his ear, "Your death was inevitable… unimportant even. You are Mai. I would have killed you eventually anyway. Don't act so surprised. You wouldn't be running if you didn't know this to be true." With that she stood, turned, and was gone, leaving him to die in the middle of the dark, lonely forest.

Chloe P.O.V.

My cell phone went off.

I awoke, disoriented, and confused from my very realistic dream. I still felt present within the forest of dark leaves and death that my subconscious had been trapped in moments ago. I had to watch Zain murdered by the woman who had killed me last, by putting a bullet through my heart. I realized that this place was not cold and dark, but warm and bright from the sunlight that streamed through the windows above my head. It was also cramped; I had little to no room to stretch out my aching legs like I could in the wide-open forest. I was in a cramped space with little to no room to move my legs. I sat up and realized I was in the back of Amy's car. My cell phone was still ringing out the song _Heartbreak Warfare_ by John Mayer. I listened to the song coming from the inside of my purse on the floor. I began to sing along to some of the familiar lyrics while I rummaged through my purse.

"Push it in and twist the knife again.

Watch my face, as I pretend to feel no pain, pain, pain…"

I stopped singing abruptly, and thought about the literal meaning of those lyrics. I felt nauseous. It was so hideously appropriate, and all too real for Zain. As I dug my phone out I reminded myself that it was just dream. However, the self-reassurance was not enough to quell the uneasy feeling that had risen within my chest.

My phone had stopped ringing by the time I pulled it from the bottomless pit that just happened to be my purse. Amy had left 2 voicemails and 3 texts. I could tell the first voicemail was an accident, probably a butt dial, considering it was just a bunch of incoherent babbling and laughter. I even heard my own voice in the background a couple times. I sighed and listened to the other voicemail.

Amy's voice burst from the phone's interior in a shrill shriek of joy. I swear I saw a group of birds about 100 feet away fly away, startled, at the sound. "Hiiii Chloeeeeeee! You're probably still asleep in my car and I don't want you to be, like, totally freaked out when you wake up, so I'm gonna tell you what has happened since you started your little catnap. So, like, we were talking and stuff in my car on the way to the hospital, when you just, like, crashed. I had accidentally passed the hospital and you were, like, awake and laughing with us, and then BOOM! You were asleep. Weird right? Paul thinks it's some Mai thing; totally typical, right?" By then I estimated the number of breaths that Amy had taken to be 2. Her voice had also been gradually getting louder and becoming a higher pitch, so that I had to hold the phone slightly away from my ear. Apparently Paul thought so too, because you could hear him shushing Amy in the background. "Whoops! Sorry everyone! Well anyway, Alek, being the dreamy gentleman that he is, wanted to let you sleep. Isn't that sweet?" She cooed, "He said you've been, like, really stressed out lately, and stuff. You know you can tell me anything right, Chloe?" She sounded worried. "Well, me and Paul still went in to check on mom," I smiled when she called my mother, mom. We really were like sisters. Growing up she had two really great dads but every girl needs her mother sometimes, and my mom was that mother figure to her. My mother really would take in anyone. Including Paul. He almost didn't count as a boy. He had sleepovers with Amy and me all the time, movie days, all-nighters and that kind of stuff. Especially when we were younger. I continued listening to the very long voicemail message, "She's doing okay, but she's still gonna have to stay here for, like, 2 more weeks. I'm sorry Chloe." I was relieved that my mother was okay but I had more questions to be answered. "We're in the waiting room still, but it's okay 'cause they have, like, every possible magazine here! Alek insisted on staying with you, because…" she imitated Alek, using her mock man voice, " 'as Chloe's protector it's my duty to guard her every second of every day. I'm not just gonna leave her alone in a car.' " She finished dramatically, giggling. " I think it's just 'cause he wants to stay and be with you. It's so romantic! I bet he watches you while you sleep!" To Amy, this would have been a dream come true, but to me that was just creepy… "When we were walking into the hospital I looked back and he was on top of the car. I told him to get off, but he wouldn't listen to me. So could you do me a favor and get him off for me? Thanks sweetie! Weeeell anyway, call me back when you wake up! I love you, Chloe! Bye!" The phone in my hand beeped, signaling the end of the message. Curiously enough, this was by no means her longest voicemail message.

Her message had answered a few of my questions, but had raised many more. I thought I had fallen asleep listening to the sound of Alek's heartbeat, which I could undoubtedly hear now from above me. It was odd that I had only now noticed it, as I had become so accustomed to the steady, rhythmic, unique beat that it thrummed. What was even more unusual was his complete oblivion to the fact that I was now wide-awake. I planned to use this to my advantage as I began to rock the car back and forth. The devious smile plastered across my face made it obvious that I was up to no good. Alek tumbled from his secure peaceful seat atop Amy's car, onto the dirty ground below. Grumbling, he stood up and brushed himself off. I giggled amused, earning me a well-deserved glare.

I raised my eyebrows suggestively and he raised his back. I could tell when he raised his eyebrows that the cut given by Zain had gotten worse. '_3 days._' It echoed around in my head until I felt Alek's well-toned muscled arms rapped around me protectively and securely. I put my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat once again. I knew that he didn't have my apathetic powers but Alek and I shared a connection. He could tell that I was scared, but he didn't know why I was scared. I was scared for him. I was scared that one day there was a possibility that I would no longer be able to hear his heart beat fast and strong.

In that quiet moment I heard a voice in my head. "My child, I am the goddess, Bastet. I sent you a vision; a warning, within your sleep. You have seen the future of your beloved. If you do not take the right precautionary steps within 3 days, this will become his fate. You have seen the traitor of my people's death, and his confession of betrayal as well. Hit the enemy in the heart. Defend my people, Uniter." With that, the voice was gone. I looked at Alek with wide eyes.

"I think Bastet just spoke to me."


	6. Chapter 6: Catching Up

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. 'Harry Potter World was amazing and slightly overwhelming for such a geek as I!'… 'Tis be my excuse… In other news, Summer Vaca. has finally arrived. (It's a holiday, that is why it is capitalized…Duh!) Woohoo!

This chapter underwent several rewrites and editing sessions with the help of my gracious mother, and my eager sister, who had to reread all the different versions of this story. So thank you mom and sis. Family is a blessing!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Nine Lives of Chloe King, because if I did, Brian would have died in episode 1…. yup.

**Ch. 6: Catching up **

Alek P.O.V.

When Amy passed the hospital, she had slammed down her brakes, and everything had started to go downhill from there. We all had been slung around, giving me a very persistent headache, which still has not gone away. Amy and Paul had became more hyper as well; I thought they were just being annoying at the time. I pinpointed this to be the moment that Chloe's [and everyone else's] odd behavior had started. The more that I thought about what happened to Chloe, the weirder it seemed. She had seemed fine, just worried about my head, and I, being a very selfish idiot, ignored her. I had felt her eyes on me, leading me to believe she wanted an explanation for why my head hurt, to which I had none. Maybe I completely misread the situation… No I couldn't have. I mean, even when I had looked at her, and had seen the distant look in her eyes, she still seemed worried about me. Her eyes bothered me though. The way they seemed so distant, so far away, as if she was looking through me, rather than at me. She moved to touch my forehead, where Zain had cut me, and then preceded to look at her dry fingers as if they were covered in blood. She looked horrified. She asked me why it hadn't healed yet and then grabbed a tissue. Without waiting for my response, she began dabbing at my forehead like her life… or my life, depended on it.

I came up with a few very normal explanations for her behavior, but none of them seemed to fit. She could have been hallucinating. That is very common in people who over dose on drugs, who have high stress problems, or who are dehydrated. Chloe did **not** do drugs and I had made sure she had plenty of water, so those weren't valid reasons. The stress thing could definitely have been it, but she had seemed a lot calmer in the moments before than I thought she would be. Which brought me to the paranormal explanations. It could have been some kind of vision…

Every time she brought the tissue away from my head I would search it for the copious amounts of blood that Chloe seemed to see. Was it her imagination or was I just not seeing it? My cut stung every time she pressed the tissue to it. She was right about one thing: it was not healing… at all, not even at the pace at which humans heal.

She was becoming tense, and shaking slightly, and then, just like that, she was out cold. I shivered at this memory. It was so unexpected that I didn't know what to do at first, until Amy asked me what happened to her. Instead of answering her I began checking Chloe for injuries, just as I had done with Meredith, Chloe's mother. Chloe seemed fine…well, physically anyway. I picked one of my less bizarre theories to tell Amy, "She has been so overwhelmed by the stress of what has happened to Jasmine, Valentina, Meredith, … her human, and everything else the world has recently thrown at her, in an effort to crush her spirits, that she just passed out. I guess it was too much for her to handle. It's okay though; she's fine." That sounded pretty good…Amy nodded satisfied, and turned back around…

I realized that there was nothing I could do for her, other than make her comfortable. My efforts to wake her up had been futile, for whatever reason every time I touched her I felt an overwhelming sense of dread. The feeling you might get if a teacher or another person of high authority was screaming in your face 'no' repeatedly, like an alarm. It made me feel nauseous and I gave up my attempts. I could not bring her to a hospital for obvious reasons and I did not want those stupid Mai doctors back at headquarters to get their hands on her. That might sound selfish but I have never trusted them and I never will. So, my only option was to let her sleep, and to ensure her protection, whatever the costs.

Four hours later I found myself blissfully consumed with my thoughts of Chloe. I was still worried about her, but about two and a half hours ago my worries had sort of morphed into daydreams. She had been asleep in Amy's car the whole time, while Amy and Paul had gone inside, to check on Meredith. I had moved to the top of Amy's car, back when she and Paul had left. I guess it had something to do with being part cat, but I found higher places much more comfortable. I felt in control. I could spot a human or hear a heartbeat or footstep from a hundred yards away. So what, if most of the humans just stared at me like I was crazy. At least they kept away. So what, if I could hear some of the little kids ask their parents: "Why is there a boy on top of that car?" To which their parents would respond in a whisper: "Don't stare and point, just pretend like you don't see him!" I didn't care what they thought. I felt free and slightly…careless.

So when I found myself dozing atop the comfortable car, I mentally scolded myself for letting my guard down, because not long after I had shut my eyes, I was startled awake again, by an unknown sound coming from within the car. Within seconds, I had become fully awake, alert, and aware of every detail of my surroundings. I tuned all my senses for any signs of danger. When I was satisfied that we, Chloe and I, were safe, I leaned over the car to investigate the odd noise. The car began to shake. It began rocking back and forth, effortlessly tossing me from my quite comfortable position, and onto the filthy ground below. I hit the ground in a cloud of dirt and dust, and rolled over, slightly bruised, but basically unharmed. I stood up and brushed myself off, while muttering under my breath, "I'm gonna get you back for that Chloe King!" I said this huskily, and low enough for only her to hear, even though there was no one else around. I heard the resulting giggles from within the small bug. I looked up and glared at her, although I wasn't really mad. She was wide-awake, and quite playful, I might add. I wondered why I hadn't noticed her quickened heartbeat, which was a result, a sign, that she had been aroused from sleep. However, these thoughts were quickly driven to the back of my mind, when she raised her eyebrow at me suggestively. I couldn't help mimicking her movements, by raising my own eyebrow, revealing the cut that Zain had given me. The playfulness in her eyes suddenly disappeared. The change in her attitude worried me, and I was frightened that what ever had possessed her earlier might come back again. I climbed into the back of Amy's car, and hugged Chloe tightly, hoping that she could find comfort and safety within my arms. I kissed her on the top of her head, but she didn't seem to notice. She had grown very still. I released my grip on her slightly, afraid that I might be hurting her. I always felt a certain caution around Chloe. I know she's not fragile and I know that she hates it when I treat her like she is, but I can't help it. I admire her strength but I have this need to protect her that I really can't explain…or control.

When she finally moved a few minutes later, she simply looked into my eyes with her piercing blue ones and said, "I think Bastet just spoke to me."

If it had been any other person I would have been shocked, but with Chloe being the Uniter and all …I mean… We all sorta saw it coming. So when I replied, "Did she say how great of a protector I am?" she just stared in utter confusion. She did not even attempt a witty remark.

Then she slowly said, "No, Alek. …But does… that… this… happen often… to other Mai? Has it ever happened to you?" She asked tentatively.

"Ummm… no. But Chloe, you are the Uniter. We all expected it to happen sooner or later." I unconscientiously brushed a tendril of her hair out of her face, and smoothed it back with the rest of her tight strawberry blonde curls. She moved out of my arms and reached across my lap to press down the lock on the door. Then she locked the rest of the doors.

"Chloe, love, I knew you wanted me, but is now really the time?" I smirked, jokingly.

She rolled her eyes in response and leaned towards me. She was so close I could see the reflection of my own eyes grow wide in her own. When her lips were inches from mine, she whispered, "You wish. We need to talk, and I know you are a close talker so I was hoping I could get your attention using your own methods."

I gulped loudly, so she smirked and leaned away. Her eyes told me that she was serious though, and that we needed to have this conversation. "What's bothering you Chlo?" I had my own worries that we would get to later, but first I needed to know how to help her.

She told me about her odd dream about my scar, and then her dream about Zain's death. She was going in order by which things happened so she told me about Amy's 15-minute message next. Then finally she enlightened me on the warning Bastet had given her.

These things confirmed my theory that Chloe had been having a vision in the car. She had also witnessed the death of Zain. There was still a lot of mystery surrounding Zain. I had not told Chloe that Zain had called me brother, or that I had since tried to find more information on him but had come up short. The order had done a bang up job of erasing him from any database where he was so much as mentioned. I was glad that Zain could no longer hurt Chloe or anyone else, but just as he had appeared he was now gone, and I still had so many questions about him. Now they may never be answered.

I told Chloe everything I had experienced as well. That included her own actions when she was in the car, and the conclusions that I had made. Everything had become so confusing to her. Chloe had experienced an alternate reality… one in which I had almost died.

"We need to find out more about the affects of one Mai scratching another." Chloe said, determined to go looking for the answers that would most definitely lead her to more trouble.

" I know that if two Mai mark each other, in other words scratch one another, while sharing in an intimate activity, they mate to each other." Chloe raised her eyebrows as if to ask 'What kind of intimate activity?' So I answered honestly, "Two Mai can mate by just simply kissing or by going… all the way; and when they do mate it's for life." I looked Chloe straight in the eyes, imagining a life with her as my mate. This made me smile. It was like she could read my thoughts, because she looked at me, eyes wide, and smiled too, blushing slightly. I leaned in, wanting so bad to kiss her. I was so happy when she leaned in as well to meet me half way. Our eyes closed and our lips touched. The moment was perfect until there was a loud banging on the window. We both jumped, hitting our heads on the low ceiling.

Amy was staring at us through the window, a big childish grin, dimples and all, plastered across her face. She swung the door open, grinning wildly and said, "Hate to ruin the **fun**, but your mom is awake Chlo, and she wants to see you."


	7. Chapter 7: MaybeIt only takes Seconds

A/N: …I have so much planned for this story but I can't seem to clear up all of the questions that chapter 4 caused. If any of you guys have questions be sure to ask them. I don't want any confusion. Anyway on to the story.

Disclaimer: I, pandacuddles6, do not owneth the Nine Lives of Chloe King. 'Tis an outrage that thy think-eth so poorly of me. If this show belong-eth-ed to me, it would never have been cancelled-eth. - _- I'm silly; deal with it… [I just saw the Avengers, hang in there with me… and if you haven't seen it , stop reading now , and go see it!]

**Ch.7: Maybe… It only takes Seconds.**

Chloe P.O.V.

Reality had finally woken up… and it slapped me in the face, hard. Everything started to straighten itself out in my head, piece by piece: The order killed Valentina and Jasmine. Then they took away another one of my lives as well; I have 7 left. Then I…I killed Brian. Alek helped me get over it and move on, and well… I moved on with_** him**_. Alek is officially my boyfriend! Please, please, _**hold**_ your _**applause**_…But, then my mother was attacked by the order, while on her business date. I don't know if she is stable yet or not, but I know that she survived, and she's not going anywhere anytime soon. The order has threatened to hurt my other human friends as well, unless I hand myself over to them willingly, so they can kill me…_**again**_… Yeah right! Get real. I've seen the movies. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't hesitate to give up any and all of my lives to protect the people I care about, but if the order killed _**me**_ then those people would be next in line for the same death sentence, and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. The hunting and killing of Mai would never end. I'm supposed to save my race, not doom them to extinction! One fine example would be Zain. The order killed their little mole. He cooperated with them and did their every bidding, worming his way into our lives, but as soon as we found out about his betrayal he was no longer of any use to them, so they disposed of him. Those people are _**sick**_ and twisted! Then I had a very **realistic **dream (so realistic, that it was very frightening and quite confusing, if I do say so myself,) where Alek pretty much died, because of that tiny cut on his head. Oh, and what's more? Bastet spoke to me… _**That's**_ totally not a big deal… Now I have to find a way to unite the Mai with the humans and save the world from our devastating war…_**no pressure. **_Even with all of _**that**_ riding on my shoulders, I would bet money that all of it combined would make me feel less nervous than I am right _**now**_! I'm about to see my mother in the hospital. Maybe, my mother will look better…or worse. Maybe, she'll be asleep…or not. Maybe, I'll get some answers…or find more questions. Maybe, I'll start my long _**adventure**_ to save the Mai race…or fail to save it. _Maybe_, I'll get the location to superman's ice fortress, and ask him to do it instead, because I'm only 16…

I don't know why or when I began to count the seconds, but it was the only thing I could do to occupy my mind enough to keep my knees from shaking, which made me look like a scared child. It took 328 seconds to reach the elevator from Amy's car in the parking lot. It took 11 seconds for the elevator to arrive. It took 9 seconds for the elevator doors to close and for Amy, Alek, and me to reach the 4th- floor.

The elevator doors dinged open and Alek interrupted my counting by whispering in my ear, "It's okay Chloe. Amy said she's fine. You don't need to be so nervous."

"Who said I'm nervous?" I whispered back, although my tone might have been slightly harsher than his was, but the difference was hardly noticeable… sort of. He raised one eyebrow in response to my attitude, (which stretched out his cut…which was probably not too good for the whole healing process… just saying.) My knees began to shake, making my lie painfully obvious. Thankfully no one besides Alek noticed that I was shaking like a freezing Chihuahua. He smirked at me. I rolled my eyes impatiently. I was in no mood for our usual, fun lovin', back and forth, playful banter. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed and wake up tomorrow morning a normal teenager, with my mom rushing around, late for a normal day at work again, like she normally did on Monday mornings.

Alek decided to respond to my rhetorical question anyway, in spite of my obvious moodiness. "You did… just now. Plus, your heart rate could pass a bloody bullet, at the _**speed**_ that it's going. Eventually, you are _**going**_ to give yourself a heart attack, Chloe King. You don't want to make it _**too**_ easy for the order to _**kill**_ you, do you?" He winked at me and smirked again, trying to lighten up the mood a little. Usually I would have played along, but at the moment my tolerance for his annoying little mind games was reaching an all time low. I tried to just ignore him, but I had no such luck. I walked ahead of him a bit, but he pulled me back and added as an afterthought, "Plus, I could hear you counting under your breath." I blew a fuse. You could probably see the vain in my forehead popping. I kinda wanted to turn around and slap him. But I didn't…yet.

"Fine I'm nervous. Whatever. Are you _**happy**_? Because I'm not and _**YOU**_ aren't helping… _**at**_ _**ALL**_!" I whisper-shouted at him. I huffed and then turned around to glare at him, but he just stared back with big wounded kitty-cat eyes. Like puss 'n boots from Shrek, only his eyes are a deep chocolate brown. I sighed and calmed down a bit. He _**was**_ just trying to make me feel better. I sighed again and apologized for PMS-ing at him, and waited for the triumphant, cocky remark that was sure to come. To my complete and utter surprise he stopped me and embraced me comfortingly, hugging me close. Then he pressed his lips to my forehead kissing it in the same manor. He proceeded to squeeze me one last time while saying, "All is forgiven, love." He released me and began walking once again. Weird. I brushed it off as nothing more but some weird mind game, or an odd attempt to comfort me.

I started tapping my fingers on my legs as we walked. By the way, it took 93 seconds for us to find Paul, lounging in the waiting room, starting from when we left the elevator. I'm a girl. I can multitask. Then it took about 53 seconds to catch up with Paul and about 14 seconds for Amy to walk Alek and me to my mom's room. It took 33 seconds for me to actually open the door and go in.

Alek wanted to give my mother and me some time alone first, so I went in by myself. I stepped into the lit room cautiously. I noticed that the blinds were open, letting sunlight stream in. The TV was on, but I could tell my mom wasn't paying attention to it, because there was a basketball game on and the volume was muted. My mom turned to look at her newest visitor when she heard the door open. I came in and swiftly shut it behind me. I almost collapsed right then and there when I saw the woman before me. She had numerous bruises on her face, neck and arms, as well as a neon green cast on her left arm. Go figure. Her left eye was purple and black and slightly swollen, though it looked to be the only part of her that had, in fact, started to heal. I could not see her legs under the bright white blankets, but I knew that they were probably in the same shape as her upper body.

She nodded to me and motioned me in with her good arm. I hadn't realized that I hadn't taken more than one step into the room. I stiffly moved into the room, and sat down on the edge of her bed. She put her hand on mine and managed a smile, wincing slightly. It made me angry to see her like this. How dare the order do this to an innocent woman. One of their kind: A human. A human who, as it was, happened to be completely unaware of the war that had been going on around her. Her only connection to the war was her adopted daughter. I was completely to blame for every bump, scratch, cut, and bruise on my mother. I looked down ashamed of what I had indirectly done. My mother put her hand up to my face and said, "Chloe, sweetheart, I'll be alright. I need you to stay with your friends for the next week or so. I won't be able to leave this place until the doctors make certain I'm not gonna die. " She smiled and chuckled at her own joke. She looked up and saw the solemn expression displayed on my face, and quickly assured me that she was fine and that she was just joking. "Lighten up, Chloe! People get mugged every day, I'm fine! After some therapy I'll be good as new." _**And so the monotony continues. **_She still has no idea. She thinks she was mugged. I put my face in my hands to hide my shocked expression.

I picked my head back up to nod and opened my mouth to speak, but no sound would come out; so I closed it. It took 15 seconds for me to try to speak again, but when I did I was finally successful, "Did you see who… _**mugged**_… you?" I asked, hoping that my mom had not picked up on the apprehension that I myself had detected in my own voice.

She shook her head, while saying, " I was having a business date with a man named Whitley Rezza; he was such a polite man for someone with so much power. He wanted to know all about my family, especially you…" She paused to frown slightly as if she had remembered something unsettling. I knew that feeling well. Then she continued, "Chloe, the last thing I remember was Mr. Rezza walking me to my car. I got into my car sat my purse down and then…nothing. My mind is a blank after that. He was the last person I saw and… and as much as I would like to think that he had nothing to do with all of _**this**_, he very well might have been. I know you have questions Chloe, but I won't be able to give them to you, and I'd prefer if you wouldn't go looking for them either. There are a lot of dangerous people out there. The mugger might have been in the car waiting for me, he might have just wanted my car. Whatever happened, happened. It's done and over, and we are not going to let all of this affect us in a negative way. We will just heal and move on with our lives. There's no use dwelling on the past. Especially when we have no control over those things." She smiled reassuringly, and pulled me into a hug. It almost seemed like she knew more about me and our _**situation**_ than I thought. I started to fascinate the idea of coming clean about _**everything**_ to my mother. Then reality reminded me that it was better for Meredith to be ignorant of all things Mai for her protection. Maybe, I would tell her one day. Maybe sooner, maybe later. Maybe, after it was all over. But not right now.

I picked apart the details of my mothers account of what had happened to her. Whitley Rezza? The named sounded familiar. Then it hit me. Rezza was Brian's last name. So Whitley Rezza must be his infamous father that Brian had spoken of. If Whitley Rezza was a part of the Order what did that mean for his son. No, Brian couldn't have known. If Brian had known he wouldn't have kissed me. He would have known it would kill him. Well there's my starting place.

'_I'd prefer if you wouldn't go looking for them.' __**Them**_ meaning answers to my questions. Curiosity killed the cat. The irony of that phrase is so not funny anymore. If she were simply mugged then I might be able to do forget about my questions. But she was not mugged and I am going to kill whoever did this to my mother. _I'm sorry I have to disobey you mother_. Whitley Rezza is bound to be able to have the answers to some of my questions.

'_There are a lot of dangerous people out there.'_ It almost sounded like a warning. Although my mom might be unaware of all the details, she understands the big picture. She knows that the stronger tends to hurt the weaker… meaning me.

'_It's done and over…We will just heal and move on with our lives.' _She was being so positive. It was encouraging but confusing. I guess a near death experience can change you. I wonder how actual death can change you. Have I changed? As much as I wanted to move on, there were no '_**forget about it'**_ options. I've been unable to escape the past for awhile now, stuck in the middle of a new and confusing world. She is lucky to be able to just move on. I still have so much to do before I can even consider moving on. _Sigh_.

'_There's no use dwelling on the past. Especially when we have no control over those things.' _No control over the past, yes. But I have complete control over the future, and I've _seen _one possibility and if I don't find answers then it will be the only possibility and I'm not willing to let that happen.

Alek knocked on the door to the hospital room quietly. My mother and I hadn't said anything for about 16 seconds. She was just holding me. The silence was comfortable to us, but it had worried Alek. He poked his head through the door and said, "Chloe? Can I come in now?" In a small voice, like a child asking for permission to have two cookies instead of the lonely one. This made me smile. Which in turn made my mother smile and whisper, "You really like bed boy, dontcha?"

I giggled, and said, "His _name_ is _Alek_, _mom_… and yes I really do. No I wasn't lying, he wasn't my boyfriend when you found him in my bed, but… he _**is**_ now."

"Well, thank you for telling me the truth, Chlo." She replied before turning to the door and replying to Alek's question. "Yes Alek, you may come in."

Alek strolled in casually and sat down in the nearest chair. He smiled, genuinely smiled at my mother before formally introducing himself. "I'm Alek, Chloe's boyfriend." He said _'Alek'_ like he, himself, was the best thing on the planet. Then he said '_boyfriend_ ' like it was his biggest goal in life and he was a very proud kitty cat indeed. My mother smiled warmly at him and patted the open spot on her hospital bed right next to me. He sat down on the bed, making it creak, and waited for further instructions from my mother.

"So, _Alek, _what are your intentions toward my daughter?" She stared unblinking at Alek. She had said his own name the same way he had said it, mocking him. I was shocked at her question. She is an amazing mother, but parents will be parents, and as crazy as my life is she is still embarrassing. In a matter of seconds her entire demeanor had changed… and so had his. She was waiting patiently for an answer still. So I nudged him in the side. He was so lost in his own thoughts that, my little elbow scared the daylights out of him.

He jumped and said," My… my intentions toward Chloe are nothing…nothing but honorable, Mrs. King. I promise I would never hurt Chloe intentionally or carelessly. No , I mean I won't ever hurt Chloe. I love her." He started out stammering but with his confession came so much conviction that my mother smiled and held out her arms for Alek. He leaned in and hugged her. As he was doing this she whispered in his ear so low I could only barely hear with my Mai hearing, "I better not EVER catch you in my daughters bed again! Do I make myself clear?" She sounded menacing even to me. So I wasn't surprised to see Alek wagging his head up and down like a bobble head. I giggled at his motion and held his hand squeezing it reassuringly. Yes, parents will be parents.

I don't know why I was counting the seconds. Maybe… Maybe because it only takes seconds for everything to change… Like everything was about to change…

A/N: Yeah so here is chapter 7. Reviews are muchly appreciated. Thank you to the reviews I have gotten. I have big plans for this story and I am going to take it much farther. Does anyone ever wonder **HOW** Chloe actually unites the races? If anyone has any ideas please leave it in a review. Please stay tuned for more updates!


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